I'm no theologian and I won't mourn Fred Phelps Sr.'s death. As a Baptist, I cringe the name associated with my beliefs was in any way, however erroneously, linked to the hate group known as Westboro Baptist.

But in one of those God works in mysterious ways sort of ways, there was some good to come out of the venom the group's founder encouraged his family/followers to spout.

As I wrote when they came to Framingham in December 2010 to protest the high school production of "The Laramie Project,'' and threw in a stop at the Islamic center in Wayland for good measure, Phelps' progeny united, at least temporarily, large groups of people who might not see eye-to-eye on any number of issues, but felt it was worth showing solidarity against unbridled hatred.

I can only pray the little boy I saw, just for a moment, stepping away from his role as hate-mongering sign-holder, has been able to hold on to that little spark of humanity.

And I can be grateful for being able to witness a brief but inspiring unity among the diverse groups who came together that morning.